Blood on a Saint: A Mystery (A Collins-Burke Mystery, 7) - Hardcover

Halifax, Nova Scotia, lawyer Monty Collins takes on an unpopular client when he agrees to defend a talk-show host against a charge of murder. The victim’s body was found at a local church, where recently a woman claims to have seen an apparition of the Virgin Mary above a statue. Coincidentally—or not?—the woman who claims to have seen the apparition is suing Monty’s friend (and former client) Father Brennan Burke for wrongful dismissal as church secretary. This is another sharply plotted entry in the Collins-Burke series, which is distinguished by its well-drawn characters and unique setting. The author, who hails from Halifax, does an excellent job of anchoring the story in the city. Whether it’s because of the requirements of the tale she’s telling, or because she just wanted to shake things up a little, this is the first book in the series to be told in the third person. Monty narrated the earlier books, but this time we see him from the outside, as others see him, affording us a new perspective on the character. Keep ’em coming. --David Pitt